Biggest Comeback of the Season Leads to Ports Second Walk-Off Win of the Series

STOCKTON, Calif. — The Stockton Ports recorded their second walk-off win this week, coming from behind to defeat the Modesto Nuts 9-8 on Thursday night at Banner Island Ballpark for their biggest comeback win of the season.

The Ports trailed 8-1 going into the bottom of the eighth, before putting a six-run rally together without a hit. Hard-throwing lefty Chandler Brierley came in for Modesto and struggled with his command right away. He hit Elvis Rijo and T.J. Schofield-Sam to start the inning, and with one out, he walked Nate Nankil to load the bases.

Nelson Beltran was then hit by a pitch to plate a run, and Clark Elliott walked with the bases loaded to make it an 8-3 game with still just one out. Another bases-loaded walk by Nick Schwartz made it 8-4, before Modesto brought in pitcher Michael Limoncello to try and stop the bleeding. A walk of Dereck Salom loaded the bases, and with two outs another bases-loaded walk of Rijo made it 8-6. A wild pitch brought the Ports within a run as Schwartz scored to cut the deficit to 8-7.

It took a diving catch by Nuts third baseman Luis Suisbel in foul territory near the tarp on a fly out to end the inning, but the Ports definitely carried momentum in to the ninth. In that final inning, Modesto went to one of their top lefty relievers in C.J. Widger. But Myles Naylor walked to start the inning and Nankil singled through the left side to put two runners on with no one out. Beltran moved them both up with a perfect bunt down the third-base line to put two runners in scoring position with one down.

That was followed by Elliott’s first big, late-game hit in 2024 after returning to the Ports a little over a week ago, as the left-handed outfielder ripped a base hit into right, scoring Naylor and Nankil to give the Ports their second walk-off win in their last three games.

Stockton trailed 5-0 when Nankil hit his sixth home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth to cut it to 5-1, but a bases-clearing triple in the top of the fifth by Jarrod Belbin put the Nuts in front 8-1.

UP NEXT
Game four is scheduled for a 7:05 first pitch, with Tyler Gough (6-2, 2.82) going for Modesto against Yunior Tur (1-2, 4.56) for Stockton.

It will be Union Night at the ballpark, and the first 1000 fans will receive a bobblehead of boxer Nate Diaz, presented by LiUNA Local 73. It will also be an Affiliate Food Friday and a Splash 4 Cash night.

Single game tickets, mini plans, and group outings are all on sale for the 2024 season. For more information, call the Ports front office at 209-644-1900 or email at [email protected]